Best Served Cold
by mockingbird9
Summary: Spoilers for HBP what do those initials mean?


Alas, nothing belongs to me!

Best Served Cold

She sighed. Twelve hours. He had been in the ground for 12 hours. An eternity and yet only a moment. When he died it hadn't seemed real, seemed possible. She'd thought the funeral would bring, not, not closure, but a finality – then she would know that he was really gone. She did not cry such weakness was beneath her. But her expression as she stared out the window was not the usual mask of superiority but was completely vacant. He had been her world, her little king. And now he was gone. She was alone now. The others, those who dared defy their "dark lord" her lips twisted ruefully, had come to the funeral and then back to the house. Of course they'd said all the right things, all the appropriate things. But the look in their eyes. The fear – how dare they? They were the rulers of the Wizarding world! And yet they cowered! They groveled at his feet!

The blood traitor was the only one to act like a man. She did not forgive or forget his impertinence, the fact that he turned his back on his family, on his inheritance. But, she could not deny – he was his own man. He would cower to no one. He had not backed down from her, not many could say that. And it had angered her, but now, she saw his strength. And he had not forgotten his brother. Sirius had come to the funeral. She wouldn't have thought that he would, but there he was. Standing in a grove of trees. She was the only one who saw.

Well, he was the last Black now. Andromeda had disgraced herself by marrying beneath her. And Bellatrix and Narcissa...they had made their stand quite clear. They had not chosen their cousin, they had not even come to the funeral. They supported his murderer - their savior, that man, _Lord Voldemort..._hmpf. As if that were his real name.

His real name.

Her brow furrowed. Who was he really? Where did he come from? He came out of nowhere and said the things we wanted to hear...but who is he? What does he really want?

_Why didn't I look into this before? I praised Regulus when he joined this man – and I didn't look into it at all? What was I thinking? This peon has tried to make a fool of me. A FOOL OF ME? HOW DARE HE!_ Her hands clenched and her dark eyes burned with intensity.

She hissed as the breath left her body and her tall, aristocratic frame crumpled under the weight of her grief and guilt.

A thought, a single, solitary, gleaming, burning thought penetrated the haze of her pain. Searing through the memories and forcing her upright. Muggles as a whole had never interested her, but their royalty did. The history of the pureblooded royals had entranced her since childhood. As a child she refused to answer to anything but her middle name after reading of the mystery of the Grand Duchess with whom she shared it. And she remembered another family, a ruling family with power. Power controlled by a woman, Lucretia Borgia. She knew how to rule. She understood the importance of family. And she understood grief and revenge. Her family was famous for their revenge – the Vendetta. She squared her shoulders and smoothed her hair into place.

This self proclaimed Lord Voldemort, he would learn a woman's wrath. He would face her vendetta. And she had time, she could be patient. And she would not fail, she was, after all, far smarter than he. She would learn his weaknesses and exploit them.

Sirius would help. Perhaps not for her, but for his brother. When she had information, that would be the time to approach him. He'd wanted Voldemort gone before this. They may not see eye to eye on udblood issues but he was smart and if she could show him a way to destroy Voldemort ... A way to avenge his brother. She smiled, if any had seen her face in that moment they would have seen the first traces of the madness that would ultimately consume her.

"Kreacher! Come here!" she called, glee evident in her voice.

As the house elf ran into the room, bowing obsequiously Rhea Anastasia Black pursed her lips and rubbed her hands together. A parent should not outlive her child, but now, she would use her remaining time to make Regulus' murderer pay.

"Mistress, what can Kreacher do for beloved Mistress?"

"I have a job for you Kreacher. I want to know everything there is to know about this Voldemort person. And you are going to find it for me..."

So, after reading HBP I figured, like everyone else, that RAB was Regulus. But I kept wondering why? what was his motivation? And somehow thinking about that led me to Mrs. Black and this story - it didn't help that somewhere along the way I got the idea that her name was Anastasia - I thought it was in one of the books but it must have been a fanfic I read! Anyway, I hope you enjoy as a little alternative! Right now it is just a oneshot, if I get more ideas maybe that will change!

Thanks, and please review.


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